The Inheritance Clause by Samantha Holt

Author:Samantha Holt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, regency romance, regency romance series, regency romance boxset, historical romance boxset, victorian romance, victorian romance series, victorian romance boxset, steamy historical romance, steamy regency romance, hot regency, hot regency romance
Publisher: Helstone Press
Published: 2021-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

ONCE A WALLFLOWER, ALWAYS A WALLFLOWER

Chapter One

LONDON, 1818

Minerva kept her gaze on the lawyer as the door creaked open. Though her sister Angel tried to sneak in quietly, Minerva was all too aware of her footsteps creeping into the room. Minerva rolled her eyes to herself. Trust Angel to be late.

Hands folded neatly in her lap, Minerva ignored the desire to offer Angel a reassuring smile after she spotted their brother, the Marquis of Eastbrook, giving her a withering look. This was serious business, and if Minerva looked at her sister, she might very well end up giggling—mostly out of discomfort. A silly little smile kept quirking her lips, and she felt the bubbles of laughter popping in her chest. An utterly foolish reaction to the reading of their grandpapa’s will, but then again, she often suffered from foolish reactions to all kinds of situations thanks to her past. Simply taking a hack to get to her brother’s townhouse had been enough to set her mind on the path to folly.

Mr. Barton, a gray-haired, balding man, did not look up from his papers. She squinted and tried to make out the writing on the document but could see little.

“You are late,” her mother whispered to Angel while the lawyer shuffled a few papers.

“Well, you see...there was a problem with my hair. And then I saw Miss Newhurst as I was about to leave, and naturally I could not be rude. And there was trouble with my carriage...” The chatter stopped, and Minerva assumed their mother had issued a silent warning—one they all knew too well from their childhood. Minerva was grateful that she had rarely ever had to suffer that stern look that both their mother and Theo were so excellent at. Mama was not the sort to scold at all, but unruly Angel had been the most likely to suffer their mother’s occasional wrath growing up.

Minerva gave in and offered her sister a brief smile before turning her attention back to the lawyer. How she envied Angel. Even in gray, her sister sparkled. Light and vivacity emanated from her eyes, and though Angel’s darker coloring did not go well with her mourning gown, she was still infinitely beautiful.

Glancing down at the simple gray silk she wore, Minerva bit back a sigh. She could not have chosen a simpler gown, and that had been deliberate. It was far better to fade into the background, and mourning wear helped with that. Something for which she was grateful—for the most part. It still did not prevent that silly little pang of envy that burst into her chest every now and then when she thought of Angel and how she lived her life, caring little what others thought and enjoying practically every moment.

Shaking her head to herself, Minerva forced her attention back on Mr. Barton. There was no sense in envying what one had missed out on. All she could do was try to do better. To forget what had happened and move on.

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